Match Me: Freelancer, AI Builder, E-Bootcamp Organizer [international, IBDP predicted 43-44/45, <$20k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • International Student
  • State/Location of residency: India
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Private (IB), but private in India isn’t like private from something like the US because mostly everyone goes to private schools so i dont think it might have as much of an impact.,
  • Other special factors: (first generation to college, legacy, recruitable athlete, etc.)

Cost Constraints / Budget
Can pay around 20k a year comfortably before loans, with loans this could extend a bit more. Though it is difficult to get loans here in India for huge amounts unless you are admitted into premier universities (T20s) because of currency conversion constraints.

Intended Major(s)
Computer Science or some of its close sister majors like CSE, Advanced Computing etc.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 40/42 in IBDP-1, probably going to get a predicted grade of around 43-44/45 in finals from the school, with 7s in all HLs
  • Class Rank: Valedictorian or Salutatorian, but i don’t think it matters much because we are only a class of 16 people
  • SAT Scores: R&W: 740; Math: 790 (1530)

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English Language and Literature (IBDP SL): 6/7
  • Math AA (IBDP HL): 7/7
  • Science:
    • Physics (IBDP HL): 7/7
    • Computer Science (IBDP HL): 7/7
  • History and social studies:
    • Business Management (IBDP SL): 7/7
  • Language other than English: (including highest level completed)
    • Spanish (IBDP ab Initio): 7/7

Awards

Extracurriculars

1. Freelance Work (International Clients)

  • Worked with clients from the US, UK, Australia, Germany, India, and France.
  • Built full-stack solutions for various industries, understanding client requirements, project timelines, and cross-cultural business practices.
  • Gained experience in managing remote teams, communicating across time zones, and delivering professional-quality products under real-world constraints.

2. Full E-commerce Apps (Shopify Headless + Remix.run)

  • Designed and developed fully functional e-commerce websites using modern stacks like Shopify headless and Remix.run.
  • Implemented features like product catalogs, checkout flows, payment integrations, and responsive design.
  • Focused on both user experience (UI/UX) and backend architecture to handle complex business requirements.

3. Minecraft Server Dashboard

  • Built a comprehensive dashboard for a Minecraft server platform, including a complex billing system, analytics, and user management.
  • Integrated backend services to manage subscriptions, payments, and server metrics.
  • Designed a clean, intuitive interface to allow server owners and users to navigate and manage features easily.

4. Websites for Various Businesses

  • Developed websites for an electrical consultancy firm, wellness consultants, and municipal projects in the US.
  • Handled everything from initial consultation, design, and development to deployment.
  • Ensured websites were optimized for performance, accessibility, and SEO.

5. Authoring a Book on Programming Education

  • Wrote a book critiquing traditional programming education and how schools teach coding ineffectively.
  • Proposed practical, hands-on approaches to learning computer science.
  • Shared insights based on personal experience building projects and freelancing, bridging the gap between theory and applied coding.

6. Horizon — AI-Enabled Note-Taking App

  • Developed Horizon, a note-taking app powered by AI, designed to help users organize, summarize, and synthesize knowledge effectively.
  • Created a detailed launch plan, including marketing strategy, user acquisition approach, and platform expansion roadmap.
  • Focused on privacy, cross-platform functionality, and enhancing cognitive productivity for users.

7. Entrepreneurship E-Bootcamp

  • Ran an Entrepreneurship E-Bootcamp with ~150 students, featuring speakers like the founder of Mindtree Limited and a Shark Tank India-funded entrepreneur.
  • Organized workshops, talks, and mentorship sessions to teach practical business and entrepreneurship skills.
  • Guided students through hands-on project launches, emphasizing learning by doing rather than just studying theory.
  • Managed the logistics of an entirely virtual program, ensuring smooth coordination between mentors, students, and projects.

8. State-Level Carrom Player

  • Competed at the state level, demonstrating discipline, strategy, and competitive skills.
  • Managed practice schedules, tournaments, and mental preparation for high-stakes competition.

9. Teaching Underprivileged Kids at Government School

  • Volunteered to teach English and Mathematics to underprivileged children.
  • Designed lesson plans, conducted interactive sessions, and tracked student progress.
  • Focused on creating a supportive environment to foster curiosity and learning.

10. Teaching & Organizing Competitions for Children in Mines

  • Worked with children whose parents worked in mines, teaching academic subjects and life skills.
  • Organized competitions to encourage participation, creativity, and confidence among students.
  • Ensured engagement through hands-on activities and problem-solving challenges.

11. Verified Discord Bots

  • Built multiple Discord bots that collectively reached over 750,000 users.
  • Implemented moderation, utility, and entertainment features to enhance user engagement.
  • Managed scaling, server stability, and user support for high-traffic bots.

12. Internship at Texmin (IIT ISM)

  • Interned at Texmin, a division of IIT ISM Dhanbad, one of India’s most prestigious engineering institutes, renowned for mining and technology research, where admission and opportunities are highly competitive.
  • Worked on AI tools designed to improve efficiency, safety, and decision-making in mining operations.
  • Developed algorithms for predictive analysis, process optimization, and data visualization.
  • Collaborated with industry and academic mentors to translate theoretical AI models into real-world applications.

Essays/LORs/Other
Would be writing my Common App Essay, with a hook using the line “You start behind the 8-ball you’ll never get in front of it”, writing about how it influenced me a lot when I was just 12 which led me to go from just playing Roblox to wanting to develop my own games on it which led me to learning to code, showing how it is a key part of me as a person which cannot be severed.

LORS

  • Either my Mathematics teacher or my Computer Science teacher, I am not quite sure yet.
  • The principal of my school
  • The director of IIT ISM, under whom I worked for 1 month as an intern who closely observed my work ethic.

Schools

  • Stanford Uni (Restrictive Early Action)
  • University of Chicago (Regular Action)
  • Harvard (Regular Action)
  • Princeton (Regular Action)
  • Cornell (Regular Action)
  • MIT (Regular Action)

It is a Match-me post because I’d like you to suggest me unis that fit the best for me; but I’d still like you to chance me for these unis.

I am also heavily relying on scholarships because well, budget :man_shrugging:

Thanks.

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Look at U Alabama, UAH

At Alabama, you’d get $30,500 off. For tuition, room and board, you’d be low 20s. Of course there’s books, travel and other things. There might be more out there with big merit for international but that’s one I know.

How about W&L, Bowdoin, Amherst, Dartmouth, Princeton - all are need blind and meet need - should they determine you have it.

Good luck.

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beggars cant be choosers but i was looking at QS rankings for the Uni of Alabama, its in the 900s range. It’s a bit a far from what my last range is for unis.

W&L has been going through some controversies as of late from what I saw on Niche, and people say that Bowdoin just sucks to be in, based on Niche once again.

If it weren’t for the financial constraints, what would you say my profile would match to? Which unis does it fit in?

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Alabama is a solid U.S. Flagship. Don’t let rankings fool you.

It’s like most other U.S. schools. There are likely cheaper here but also less known. It’s very well known.

The W&L thing, is in many ways, is pushing a narrative - that some agree with. I don’t. The new LinkedIn rankings rated them very high. The controversy stems from the name and association with the past. The school seems beloved by anyone who has kids there.

For safety - I don’t know. Rochester, Case Western, etc - maybe more. Not for me to say. Maybe it’s MIT.

But you do have budget constraints. You can’t stay in the U.S. but Bama, as an example, shows (last year, 63% employed and 31% continuing their education) - that’s with an 80% response rate. They show a $77K average salary - but that’s all engineering majors. CS likely higher. This was spring 2024. No, it’s not MIT but it’s a solid school.

But as you noted - beggars can’t be choosers - but it’s a combo of a great name and for you possible affordability.

So you can diss it or you can add to your list - your choice.

Best of luck.

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You have an impressive background, but so do tens of thousands of other applicants to these schools. That’s why it’s extremely difficult to “chance” you. If you want a number, your odds are likely in the low single digits (around 1–3%). Sorry, that’s just the reality.

Also, none of the schools on your list offer merit scholarships; they only provide need-based financial aid. Use the Net Price Calculators on their websites to estimate what you might receive. (Note: they’re not fully accurate for international students, but they’ll give you a good idea.)

If you’re serious about finding affordable options in the US where you’re more likely to be admitted, you’ll need to look much further down the prestige ladder. Don’t dismiss tsbna’s suggestions too quickly.

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if you really say so, i would definitely look into it a bit more, instead of just looking at the rankings.

Reading those reviews a bit more thoroughly, I do agree with you in ways. But could its reputation be any harm to employment chances or employer perception?

I would most probably be adding UAlabama to my list mostly because of as you said the combination of a good name and affordability.

Thanks

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Thank you, and indeed they do have impressive backgrounds, which is what makes these schools competitive. To be fair, that is what the thrill behind applying to those schools is. To be comepting with others who are of competition to you, and in many ways beyond your abilities. I understand that the chances are low, and obviously with these schools you never know.

Yeap I’m aware of this, but I am also certain that if I were to get in to one of these full-need aid schools, I would be getting a full-ride just because of my family’s reported annual income and reported assets, which aren’t a whole lot.

If it isn’t possible for you to “chance” me for these schools, would you be able to match me with schools based on my background, with and without financial considerations? Would really appreciate it.

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You’re not staying here and the their grads kick butt - so no.

Btw I’ll edit - made up. Not fair to those offended. But a narrative has been used - right or wrong - the school has kept the name but made a lot of changes.

Listen, you asked for suggestions. I don’t know how you’ll fair at others. But Bana is a way to go.

My son turned down Purdue for it - and works with Michigan, Purdue, Washington etc kids as a MechE. My nephew is at a FAANG with a Poli Sci degree from Arizona.

Rank isn’t the be all and end all.

Affordability kinda is - in my opinion.

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What does your post even mean? How does Bowdoin “sucks to be in”?

You are either serious about getting an education in the US or your not. And claiming that a vibrant, intellectually challenging place like Bowdoin “sucks to be in” suggests you aren’t serious.

I think you need to do some introspection- what are you looking for in your education. Start there. And then shed every misconception you might have in order to find three things-

1- You are likely to be admitted
2- You are likely to be able to afford to attend
3- You will get the education you are looking for and cannot get by staying home.

These are the three. Nothing else matters right now.

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“Without financial consideration” doesn’t really help. If you get accepted by a school that costs $90,000 a year, or even $60,000, and no financial or merit aid, then how will you pay for your education and cost of living?

So you have two paths (and you can utilize them both):

  1. The very generous schools such as the ones on your list. They will cover all your costs if you’re accepted (but note that not all these are need blind). These schools are also very hard to get into.
  2. Not-so-highly ranked schools which offer generous merit scholarships, such as Alabama, Tulsa, etc. @tsbna44, @fiftyfifty1, @AustenNut and others here can provide recommendations.

These latter set of schools are probably not well known in India, but you’ll have received a solid education.
Keep in mind that given the current job market and immigration policies, it’s unlikely that you’ll get to stay on in the US after graduation.

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I was just quoting a couple of reviews I saw on a Niche for Bowdoin. I haven’t ever even been to the university so I am not commenting based on personala opinion but only asking for validation of whether it is true or not.

Judging based on how you say, it is intellectually challenging to be at, I am going to assume that the reviews are written out of spite or some other reason not reflecting the actual intellectual and employment enviornment at the uni

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Fair point but I was just trying to get an assesment of where I stand as a person when it comes to colleges, not about me actually going to the school.

But yeah, thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

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I am pretty sure that Harvard, Princeton, and MIT do not consider your need when deciding whether to accept you. For international students I am pretty sure that Stanford does consider your need when deciding whether to accept you. I am not sure about the other two schools on your list.

Regardless, you are a very strong applicant, and all of these schools are reaches. I think that they are worth an application, but I think that it is more likely that you will not get an acceptance. If you get one, that would be doing very well.

One other possibility is to get your high school to nominate you for the Lester B Pearson scholarship at the University of Toronto. Of course you would also need to apply. Admissions would be likely, but it will only be affordable if you get the scholarship, which might be about equally competitive compared to the six universities already on your list.

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Bowdoin is a perennial top 5 LAC with high ratings for beauty, food, and strong academics.

You sure have an unusual view of colleges - IMHO.

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These are all reach schools…but you probably already knew that. You have a chance…but keep in mind that their acceptance rates for international students are low single digits.

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Please be aware that you cannot approach admission into US schools, like schools in India.

US universities expect well-rounded students and expect LORs from all disciplines and not just STEM. Teachers from Core subjects can acknowledge your performance in the classroom. This means History, foreign language, Arts, etc.

They want letters of recommendation from people who have observed you in the classroom, on a daily basis. You typically just submit two letters of recommendation. Maybe a third from another Core teacher. They don’t want students building their resumes to get into a school. The universities do not want to admit students that will burn out.

Your list of extracurriculars is long, but what it shows is that your time in academic subjects looks minimal in comparison.. There’s only 24 hours in the day. How are you able to accomplish all these magnificent extracurriculars when it doesn’t look like you are ever in the classroom? When do you sleep? The committees will question whether you’ll burn out when you get to college.

I worked at a high school for eight years and I know how limited the hours are that a student spends for high school activities, as well as for eating and sleeping.

I also used to spend time in a committee reviewing scholarship applications. All 10 of us, on our committee, always questioned if a list of activities like this, would provide any fun for the student.

You need to know that there are a finite number of seats at the top colleges. Most of those are already spoken for by recruited, athletes, children of celebrities, children of donors, spectacular artists and musicians.

As an international who needs to be funded, and who comes from a country where thousands apply to the same 20 schools, your chances of admission are 1 to 3%. That’s just the way it goes.

I agree that beggars cannot be choosers. Make sure that when you return home in four years, that you have a job you can access in India.
The US schools educate you, but there’s no guarantee that you can stay past the four years. That’s an immigration issue.

Consider some of the schools that have been recommended by the other posters on this thread. And bring the arrogance level down because it’ll come across in your essay.

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Sadly, I don’t think this is unusual for many international applicants(and some domestic applicants). They all know about the BIG names and don’t really understand that there are many, many schools in the U.S. where they can get a great education.

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